Just When Everything Changed
by Lucinda Marie
Summary: Kassandra Barclay never knew such a hell could be possible. When she was evacuated from her dorm and shoved onto a military jeep, her life turned completely. When the jeep group was over run by walkers, Kassie ran off on her own, finding Daryl and Merle Dixon. She went back to the camp and began living her life there, unaware of just how much everything was going to change.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

The buzzing of an alarm rang throughout the small dorm room. Kassie woke up from her sleep, covering her ears to the blaring noise. Her roommate was nowhere to be seen. She opened the door to the hallway, noticing the hallways littered with bloody foot prints and scattered chunks of what appeared to be flesh. Kassie felt her dinner and bile coming up her throat. As she leaned against the wall throwing up, doors began opening, making the same reaction appear out of other people. Just then, the hallway was being stormed and invaded by men and women dressed in riot gear and wearing masks. Each of them grabbed a teenager standing in their doorway. Kassie was grabbed from behind by a muscular man, causing her to shriek and fight back.

"Ma'am, you need to quit fighting. We are evacuating your dorm building. There has been a fatal outbreak throughout your campus. Please, go into your room and dress in comfortable clothes. Pack a bag worth of clothes to last you a week. Make sure to bring along all necessities. You have five minutes to do this," he said, placing her in her dorm room once again. She grabbed a large duffel bag and placed all of her clothes inside. She put on her pair of skinny jeans and sweater she wore the day before. Grabbing her phone and charger off of her desk last minute, the military man came back in to escort her out. Other boys and girls her age were being led out of the building in the same dismay and confusion as her. They were hurdled like cattle into the lobby of the building. From the windows, Kassie could see large green military jeeps backing up to the door. As the first one was right up against the automatic sliding door, kids were being directed into the back of it. The man who originally grabbed Kassie was right behind her.

"Excuse me, would you mind explain what is happening? What went on here during the night? You said this is a fatal outbreak? Are we all in danger or infected already?" she asked, thinking up one question after another. He lowered himself down to her shorter stature, whispering to her.

"I shouldn't say anything to you, but you don't appear to be the type to start a riot. As of right now, everyone entering this van is perfectly healthy. You would know if you were infected, because you would have already died. This disease is bringing the dead back to life. There isn't much more information than that available. Keep quiet about this though and protect yourself as needed. Now, get in the van and listen to what the sergeant has to say," he finished, helping her up into the vehicle. Fear imbedded into her mind, nervously falling into the seat she was lead to. Everything around her went silent, her nerves went numb, and all emotion fell from her internal processing. She held her duffle bag close to her, grasping onto the last item she recognized as part of her now ending peaceful existence.

"Alright, listen up," a man briskly said, knocking Kassie from her trance," you are being transported into a safe zone outside of Atlanta. Here you will receive food, water, and shelter from what is going on around you outside. This is not just a plague within your college campus; this is quickly becoming a national threat. There will be no communication to the public. The federal government is attempting to handle this is the most calm way possible. Please hand over all cell phones, tablets, laptops, and other communication devices. Those denying this will be reprimanded once arriving to the facility," announced the sergeant at the front of the vehicle. Kassie's mind began twisting, knowing she had to come up with an excuse to keep her phone on her. As the officer collecting phones came to her, she shook her head no.

"I left my phone sitting on my nightstand in my dorm room," she said as calm as possible. He looked at her, determining whether to question it or not. He slowly walked away, keeping his eye on her. She sighed internally; relieved she kept her connection to the outside world. The jeep puttered along the road, shifting from one side to another. The smell of burning flesh and death seeped into the hold. Kassie's stomach churned; her nausea was being caused by the intense odor. Several people around her were given plastic bags to get sick into. Kassie brought her knees to her chest, keeping to herself and throwing herself back into her trance. It felt as though hours went by, bopping back and forth on the hard seat. After what in reality had only been around forty five minutes, all of the suited soldiers ran up to the front of the jeep. An abrupt stop sent each of the young adults lurching forward, complaining and asking about what was happening. The same soldier that Kassie recognized from the dorms ran past her. He peered through the doors, only opening them a bit. He shut them against after only moments and locked it tight.

"Listen here; our jeep is too large to get through the debris on the road ways. There are many abandoned cars and other things in the way. We are going to trek by foot to the main highway. The road is open enough here to be able to get another jeep through. This is going to be about a three mile walk. It shouldn't take us long to get there. We are armed and prepared for any of the walking dead out there. Keep calm and orderly exit the van. Stay together and do not wander off. This is of vital importance," he finished, opening the doors. Kassie was one of the first to exit, shielding her eyes from the bright light. All around her, there were abandoned cars, small fires, and dead bodies littering the travel ways. Her jaw hit the ground, seeing the hell and infection quickly invading and reshaping her world. Her mind traveled back to her family she had back in Indiana. Before anyone could notice, she shoved these memories back, concentrating on the task at hand. The military personnel began to lead the group on through the road. People who knew each other clutched together, keeping each other's backs covered. Some of them sobbed into each other shoulders, cracking from the stress and pressures. Not even one mile into the journey, screams erupted from a set of girls.

"Help me help me!" shrieked a female voice, sprinting from the scene. A girl was sprawled on the ground underneath a bloodied and rotting figure. The formerly alive man was biting into the stomach of the defenseless woman. Her scream slowly faded away, signifying her dying moments. Just as the zombie creature stood, two dozen more crept from the wooded area. Kassie's heart rate instantly increased and adrenaline soared through her veins. Without any other thought, Kassie ran away from the group. Her duffel bag bounced off her side as her legs carried her quickly from the walking dead. The screams and gun shots were being left behind Kassie; her tears streaming down her face from guilt and abandonment. She continued running, knowing going back would mean meeting her own demise.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The sun began to set below the horizon. Kassie kept running, never stopping no matter how hard she was breathing or how much her legs hurt. Not long after escaping the initial scene with her evacuated group, Kassie had reached the highway. She took to running in the direction away from the city. Along the way, she had noticed several walkers keeping to themselves by the entrance to the wooded area. As the sun now quickly vanished behind the tree line, they began making their way towards the highway. Kassie now quickened her pace, looking for a safe place to rest. The darkness was quickly taking over and no shelter was in sight. Fear began to overtake Kassie. Just when she thought about giving up, she came up on the cab of a semi-truck. She opened the driver's door and locked it, assuring the passenger's side was already locked. Very cautiously, she investigated the bunk in the back of the cab. The only remaining remnants of life were abandoned packaged foods and unopened bottles of water. She grabbed one and drank the entire bottle within seconds. Kassie grabbed a bag of potato chips and began eating then, one by one until only half of the bag was left. She peered out the front window of the truck, seeing mass amounts of the walking dead trailing past the truck. In a futile attempt to momentarily forget about the decaying world around her, Kassie lie in the small cot and fell asleep quickly.

She awoke from her slumber, expecting to be in her dorm room, prepared to wake up her roommate Shaliene for their early morning classes. Instead, she was greeted by bumping her head on the low ceiling above her. Instantly, everything from the day before came back to her in a flash. It wasn't a nightmare from watching too many horror movies after a few too many drinks, this was her new reality. She pulled her phone from her duffel bag. The clock read 8:45 in the morning. The sun was just about over the top of the horizon. She noticed a few of the living dead slowly making their way past her temporary shelter. From her bag she pulled out a small handgun followed by a handful of bullets. She filled the magazine like Shaliene had taught her. After securing the duffel bag around her and filling it with food and water from the truck, she opened the door silently. She undid the safety and kept her weapon aimed at the monsters. A slow walk around the debris assured her that the chances of attracting the monsters in her direction were significantly lower. After passing by few remaining walkers, she continued down the highway at a bit more peace. She kept track of the time by how the sun moved overhead. When the sun was directly above her, she heard a noise coming from the woods. It was the sound of a truck. From the tree line, a truck came barreling between the trees. A man with almost buzzed light brown hair stood in the bed of the truck as it traveled up onto the highway. In the driver's seat was a man with longer dark brown hair, grasping the wheel.

"Hey! Over here!" Kassie shouted, trying to get their attention. She waved her arms above her head, screaming. The man in the bed of the truck noticed her. He knocked on the driver's window, pointing him in the direction of Kassie. The truck turned route and headed towards her. They came to a stop just before hitting the pavement. She heard the engine die down and then the door opening and closing. Around one of the vehicles approached the longer haired man. He had a crossbow aimed at her. She lifted her gun in response, unaware of what might happen next.

"You been bit little missy," he asked with a thick southern accent. Kassie cocked her head towards him, curious as to why he asked.

"No, I've pretty much been by myself for the last twenty four hours. Mind lowering your bow?" she asked calmly. He lowered it, coming up closer to her. Kassie lowered her gun and put the safety back on. She studied him up and down, observing his tan, muscular body. He walked around her quickly, checking over for bite marks. Once he made a complete circle around her, he stood only a foot away from her.

"Daryl, Daryl Dixon. That's Merle Dixon in the back of my truck. Let me take that for you," he said pointing towards her duffel bag. She handed it to him and he easily slung it over his shoulder. She just looked up at his taller stature. He nodded his head in the direction of the truck, signaling for her to follow. She kept beside him. He threw the duffel bag into the bed of the truck.

"Look at that fine piece of ass. Wanna ride back here with me girly?" said Merle. Kassie simply looked at him disgusted and scoffed. Daryl opened the passenger door and helped her in. He then took his place behind the wheel and began driving.

"Don't mind Merle, he's just an asshole. He don't mean no harm really. If he tries to bother you when we get to camp, let me know and I'll handle him," Daryl said, concentrating on the terrain. Kassie looked over at him, smiling slightly.

"Thank you very much, for all of this. My name is Kassandra Barclay, I go by Kassie though. So, you said something about a camp? Are there other survivors then?" she asked eagerly. Daryl turned up a dirt road, heading into the woods further.

"Yea, there's a decent sized group up ahead on the mountain. We all kind of met up after the world went to shit. What's your story?" he asked, giving off a friendly vibe.

"I was evacuated from my dorm yesterday. The military people loaded us up like animals into these jeeps. When too many cars got into the way, they made us walk. Then, those things came at us like a massive hoard. I ran from the group to save myself. I slept in a semi-truck cab last night and now I am here," she said, keeping her story short. The rest of the ride was silent. Minutes later, they pulled into a campsite where an RV and other vehicles were gathered. Several people walked up to the truck after they parked. Daryl opened Kassie's door before she even got her hand to the handle. Merle jumped from the back, carrying an armful of squirrels and other small game. Daryl carried his crossbow and her duffel bag. Kassie walked next to Daryl, keeping a tight grip on her handgun.

"Daryl, who is this?" asked a man with near black hair. She looked at everyone staring at her like an animal at a circus. She felt on display, like the shiny new toy. He stood in front of her, blocking her from the man.

"This is Kassie Barclay. She's going to be staying here," he said, beginning to walk away from the man. He stopped him, causing Daryl to turn around looking less than pleased.

"Shouldn't you try and get the approval of everyone here?" he sad back. Daryl turned around and carefully pulled Kassie beside him so everyone could see her.

"Everyone, this is Kassie. She is going to be joining us. Shane, she can help with washing laundry and other chores. You should be happy she is here," Daryl told him. He looked over Kassie, investigating her condition.

"And where exactly is she going to sleep? Last I checked there wasn't any more room in camp," Shane answered her back. Everyone watched, waiting for his answer.

"I'll take care of her. I was the one who found her and I brought her here," Daryl said, leading Kassie to the tent furthest away from the pack. They entered the medium sized tent and zipped up the side. Daryl laid out a rolled up sleeping bag in the corner and sat a clean pillow next to it. He placed her bag at the foot of the sleeping bag. She smiled at him and he gave a small smile back.

"Home sweet home," he said to her.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Many days passed since Daryl had brought Kassie back to the camp. She helped wherever she could with the laundry, cooking, or helping the kids learn. During her fifth night at the camp, she sat around the fire helping Andrea cook. Kassie flipped the skewered squirrels over. Andrea stirred and potful of water and fish. Andrea looked at her, smiling largely.

"So, how are you adjusting to life at camp?" she asked scooting towards her. Kassie smiled, having become close to Andrea with helping cooking and fishing. They had shared many stories about themselves before the outbreak and about their pasts.

"I really like it here. Everyone is so friendly and I love how we all have our jobs and work together. It's crazy to think about the fact that just over a week ago I was stressing about midterm tests. Now, we are worrying about sleeping through the night," she said back, not as depressed as she would have her first night with the group. Andrea looked at her and giggled.

"Well, you don't have to worry as much as they rest of us. You have Mr. Dixon protecting you," she said with a silly tone to her voice. Kassie blushed slightly looking Andrea.

"What are you talking about? Daryl was just kind enough to convince Shane to let me stay. I would have been dead had he not fought so hard and shared his tent with me. He was just being kind," she said back, hiding her smile. Andrea giggled some more, scooting close enough to her and whispering.

"Oh come on girl! Me, Amy, Carol, and Lori all see the way he looks at you. He tries not to make it obvious, but he is always keeping his eye on you. When we are out fishing, he is always hunting where he can watch us. Does he ever say anything at night when you guys are sleeping?" she asked curiously. Kassie shook her head no. She didn't feel the need to tell Andrea about waking up with Daryl's armed wrapped around her, cuddling close to her. She didn't feel like sharing Andrea how every time he walked into the tent she checked him out. Lastly, she didn't want to share that every time he brushed up against her while they were sleeping that she felt sparks throughout her entire body. Thinking about this caused a red tint to flash across her cheeks.

"He has asked me about wanting to go hunting with him. He knows I know how to use a gun and I can defend myself. He has also clearly told me that I am his responsibility. Nothing like you are thinking! Get your head out of the gutter!" she said back to Andrea, keeping her mind level headed about Daryl. Just as they finished talking, the food was finishing up. They called everyone around the fire to start eating dinner. They served each of them. When Daryl placed some squirrel meat on his plate, he thanked her and grinned. Andrea looked at her slyly and Kassie blew her off. When everyone was served, Kassie took her own food and her seat next to Daryl where she sat for every meal. Everyone was silent when Glenn spoke up.

"So Kassie, what were you studying in college before everything happened?" he asked, catching everyone's attention. They all looked at her, eager to her answer. She smiled; proud of what she was doing.

"I was an accounting major, Spanish major, and a minor in care for students with disabilities. I was hoping to get into corporate accounting and help some foundations dealing with students with disabilities and helping them with their academics," she said, waiting for their responses.

"Wow, that's amazing! You would have been great working with children," said Carol in response. Lori smiled and agreed with her.

"You would make a great mother too Kassie," she said in return. She was brought back to the many conversations her and her college friends had about baby names. She went silent, remembering how much she longed to be married, raise a family, and eventually adopt children will special needs.

"Thank you Lori. I am hoping one day everything gets better so I can be a mom and raise a family. I had dreamed of that since I was a little girl," she said in a somber tone. The conversation of the group died down as people went to bed. Kassie and Daryl ended up being the last ones around the fire. It had died down to just the coals in hopes of not attracting walkers. Kassie wrapped her arms around her, shivering from the chilly breeze coming through the trees. Daryl scooted closer to her and put his arm around her. She didn't move an inch, fearing he would leave her side. She relaxed into his body, taking in the warmth he radiated.

"I've seen ya with Carl and Sophia around camp. You'd make a good mom like Lori said. You can tell you're really smart too. The way you get along with everyone around here is amazing," he said, tightening his grip around her. She placed her hand on his thigh, smiling up at him.

"Thank you Daryl, that means a lot. It was hard hearing Lori and Carol talking like that. Getting to be around Carl and Sophia just reminds me that I will never get the opportunity to have children. I keep hoping that this will all just disappear after a month," she said to him.

"I am doubting that will happen, not to be a downer. I'd love to see a sweet girl like you fulfill all her dreams and goals, but I reckon that walkers don't need accountants," he said back to her. They sat snuggled by the fire until they noticed the sun coming up over the trees.

"You need your sleep," Daryl said to her. They stood up and put the rest of the fire out with dirt and water. She brushed the dirt from her jeans and went to walk back to the tent.

"Aren't you coming to sleep too Daryl?" she asked, going back to him. He didn't say anything but grabbed her hand instead. Kassie laced her fingers with his out of an unknown instinct. Before she could comprehend what was happening, she felt a set of soft lips on hers. Without another thought, she kissed him back softly. After a few seconds, he pulled away from her, looking into her eyes.

"You're beautiful," was all he said back to her. She blushed red enough she was sure he saw with the light appearing over the horizon. He brushed aside a stray hair from her face. Kassie continued looking at his face, memorizing every portion of it.

"You're gorgeous," she said back to him. She kissed his cheek again and whispered in his ear," Let's get some sleep." He nodded and they walked back to the tent. He never released Kassie's hand the whole way. They lay down in the tent without even changing into their pajamas. Daryl wrapped his arms around Kassie before kissing her cheek and falling asleep within minutes. She traced her fingers along the noticeable veins on his forearm, falling asleep with a smile on her face for the first time since the apocalypse began.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"We are going to send a group out to the city to get some more supplies," Shane announced as everyone was working near the campsite in the morning. Kassie and Andrea were setting up their equipment ti go fishing later. Andrea looked at Kassie then raised her hand to volunteer.

"I'd like to go again. I think Kassie should go with us. She would have a great knowledge of the layout of the city," she said, hoping for her to go along. Kassie gulped, nervous to go back to the place where all her memories were. Daryl walked up beside her out of nowhere and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"She's mine to look after. I don't think she needs to be going where I can't watch her. She's going hunting with me today. Merle can go with," Daryl said, ready for Shane to retort and argue. Shane simply shook his head and smiled.

"Daryl is right Andrea. He took on the responsibility of watching her until she is completely acclimated into everything. We'll just send the same group from before. And Daryl, be careful hunting with Kassie," he said, finishing off assigning where people would be going. Daryl grunted and went back to getting ready to hunt. Andrea gave Kassie and hug before setting off to the city. With nothing else to do, she headed back to the tent to get ready to go out with Daryl. She put on a simple shirt and jeans, not thinking any of her other attire would be suitable. After a quick look over, she grabbed the gun from her bag and set out to find Daryl. He was sitting by the edge of the woods, organizing his arrows and looking over his crossbow. He turned her way when he heard her footsteps approaching.

"Ready to head out darling?" he asked, standing up. Kassie shook her head yes, eager to get a move on. They each said good bye to those left in the camp as they entered the woods. It was silent between them as they searched for game to bring back to the camp. They eyed small animals such as rabbits and squirrels, Daryl making shots at them with his much quieter weapon. After hours of searching and chasing down animals, Daryl and Kassie took a break, sitting down in a small clearing. He reached for a bottle of water, handing it to Kassie.

"Drink, it is hot today," he said. She obeyed, not questioning anything. Her mind went back to the kiss they shared the night before. She could feel her cheeks turn warm and pink. Daryl looked over and smirked at her just then. "What you thinking about over there?"

Kassie turned her head, taking a sip from the bottle. She peered over at him, staring into his eyes. The blue pools called out to her, drawing her towards him like a magnetic force. She couldn't stop looking, captured by him.

"I was thinking about last night, by the fire," she said bluntly. She turned and fully looked at Daryl. He lowered his head and looked at the ground. She crawled over closer to him, hoping he wouldn't shut her out.

"That's why I wanted you out here with me. I don't know what it is about you. I thought you were just another little girl when Merle an I picked you up. The more I talk to ya, the more I want to know. You are smart and beautiful," he said, staring up at her and placing his hand on her cheek. Kassie couldn't help but grin as he said all this stuff. She rested her hand on his free one supporting his body weight.

"I was incredibly lucky to have you find me and be willing to help me. You are so gorgeous and so kind to me," she said back to him. She grabbed his hand like the night before, hoping he would react the same way. She leaned forward and kissed him, feeling his lips meet hers. He moved his hand from her cheek into her long hair. With slight force, Daryl pulled her into his lap, closing the space between them. Her arms draped around his neck as they deepened the kiss. Daryl began kissing down her neck when they heard rustling about ten feet away. They separated quickly out of fear that a walker had found them. The abandoned bow and gun were picked up off the ground and in the hands of their owners. Each of them peered around a tree, still slightly panting from their kiss. To their surprise, it wasn't a walker, but a decent sized deer.

"I got it," Daryl said, aiming and concentrating on the deer. He pulled his finger on the trigger, sending the arrow flying straight through its head. The deer stumbled a bit before falling over dead. They raced over to it, investigating the dead corpse. Daryl pulled the arrow from its head and put in back with the others.

"Let's haul this thing back to camp before it attracts any of our friends," Kassie said. She took and hind legs and Daryl took the front legs and they carried it all the way back to camp. They reentered the camp, greeted by everyone. Shane and Carol ran over and helped them haul the large animal for it to be prepared.

"You know how to prepare this thing?" Daryl asked her. She grinned at laughed a little bit.

"I am originally from Indiana and my father was a hunter. I have been doing this since I was ten," she said, looking around for proper knives. Daryl smiled at her, kneeling and getting ready to cut into the animal. They worked together to prepare the animals to be cooked. Kassie looked over at him and noticed how concentrated he was. An idea popped into her mind, making her feel sneaky. She dabbed her finger in a splotch of deer blood and dabbed it on his cheek. He turned and looked at her almost confused.

"Gotcha!" she said to him quietly. A sexy smirked appeared across his face. He jab his finger into the heart they had sitting on the ground and drew a crude mustache across her upper lip. Her jaw hit the ground in shock of what he did. He laughed at her face, amused by her reaction.

"Gotcha back," was all he said back before continuing cutting into the animal. They sat at peace cutting into the deer until it was completely ready to be cooked. Lori, Carol, and Amy all walked over to where they were.

"Wow, great job guys! How about we get to cooking," Amy said to Kassie. She nodded her head in return, grabbing the cooking utensils sitting beside her. Daryl stood up to walk away, but before he returned to his crossbow, he placed a small kiss on Kassie's forehead. The women looked at her, smirking at the scene. They all sat with her, cooing at the kiss.

"Kassie, why do you have blood all over your upper lip?" Carol asked concerned. Kassie laughed, wiping it away with her arms.

"Daryl gave me a deer blood mustache since I smeared a little on his cheek," she giggled, turning red as she explained it. Lori giggled at the story. Carol and Amy looked a little more disturbed by this.

"Some things you just can't explain I guess, and Daryl Dixon's obsession over you is one of them. Not that it is bad by any means, just not something any of us were expecting," Lori said in return. They smiled and made small talk around the fire as the deer was being cooked. One thought crossed through Kassie's mind, dwelling on something Lori had said.

_Were any of us expecting to be living like homeless people in the woods a month ago? I guess this has become the time of unexpected actions._


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The sun had already fallen and dinner was already served and eaten. Everyone peacefully sat around the fire, enjoying the waves of heat it gave off. Kassie's mind was weighing on the fact nobody from the team they sent out to gather supplies had returned yet. Amy was appearing to be more stressed and on edge every moment her sister failed to return with the group. A wave of exhaustion fell over Kassie. She stood, telling everyone goodnight and headed back to her and Daryl's tent. She changed into her tank top and lounge pants, threw her hair up into a pony tail, and lay comfortably in her sleeping bag. Not moments later, the tent was unzipped and Daryl joined. He took off his shirt and threw it into the corner. He moved to where he was behind Kassie and changed into a pair of shorts. As he began to lie down, Kassie rolled over and looked at him. She pecked his lips, receiving a much stronger kiss back.

"I'm going hunting early in the morning. You stay here and help with laundry and stuff," he told Kassie and they cuddled up next to each other. She smiled, snuggling herself into Daryl before she answered.

"Sounds like a plan cowboy. Just be careful out there!" she ordered to him. She heard him laugh at little bit before completely relaxing. Before she knew it, Kassie was fast asleep.

The sun shined through the mesh in the tent, waking Kassie up. It was around 9 or 10 in the morning. She stretched and yawned before standing up to get ready. At the foot of her sleeping bag, a set of clothes was waiting for her. A smile appeared across Kassie's face, knowing the only person who would do that. She put on the clothes and tied her hair back as well as she could for not having properly washed it in almost two weeks. She grabbed and armful of her and Daryl's dirty clothes joined the group of women down by the river that was washing laundry. Amy nudged her arm playfully when she started helping.

"So, you gonna tell us about you and Mr. Dixon?" she asked with a huge smile on her face. Kassie looked away smiling, not wanting to give out any personal details between her and Daryl. He was a private guy as she was relatively private herself.

"We just have a connection is all. I never knew a guy like him before everything happened. Maybe, he is just the kind of guy I was looking for," she happily said back. Lori looked over at her oddly.

"Most girls your age wouldn't be after the redneck of the camp who was old enough to almost be her father," Lori said back to her, trying to sway her thought. This angered Kassie, making her react little more harsh.

"And I am sure your white picket fence dream included scrubbing walker blood out of your clothes every other day? I may have been one of the last ones to really grasp what was going on here, but I am one of the first to realize the world is now completely different. The rules society came up for us fifty years ago are pretty much shit. So, if Daryl and I's relationship disgusts you that much, then quit looking," she said back. Lori opened her mouth to respond, and then shut it and went back to her laundry.

"I didn't mean it like that Kassie. This whole situation hasn't had me thinking straight at all. If you think Daryl is for you, we should support that, not tear it down. Again, I'm sorry," she said back. Kassie looked at her, taking in her genuine apology. Kassie stood from her work and went and hugged Lori.

"I totally understand. I've been on edge ever since I was removed from everything I knew. Let's stop all this nonsense and try surviving. First and foremost though, I could seriously use a margarita!" she said trying to lighten the mood. The entire group of girl's laughed, carrying on about the things they most missed since the world changed. In mid conversation, they were interrupted by a loud car alarm coming near their camp. They raced up towards the camp site to see what was going on. Just as they ascended the hill, they were greeted by Glenn getting out of a sports car and a large moving truck following behind him. Kassie ran up to Glenn and gave him a big hug as every other person in the group had family to greet.

"We didn't think you guys were coming back!" Kassie said to him. She didn't realize until now just how close they had all gotten. She peered around, looking for Merle somewhere. She just assumed he had avoided the group.

"We wouldn't have made it back without the help from the new guy," Glenn said, turning towards the truck. Everyone looked as a man in a sheriff's uniform stepped out of the truck. He approached the group a few feet before Carl dashed past her and Glenn screaming "Dad" at the top of his lungs. The man in the uniform embraced him. Lori raced after too, hugging both of them. That's when it hit Kassie,that was the man Lori thought she had lost and the dad Carl always mentioned.

"Well, we all made it back except Merle," Glenn said. This instantly caught Kassie's attention. She dashed in front of Glenn so she was facing him head on.

"You mean to say Merle died on that trip out there? Do you realize how heartbroken Daryl is going to be when he finds out?" Kassie said feeling a bit of sorrow for the man. T-Dog then walked over to Kassie and put his hand on her shoulder.

"No, he didn't die. I left him handcuffed on top of the department store roof. I went to go get him when the place was being overrun, but I dropped the key down a pipe on the roof. I chained to door up so he was as safe was could be, but I couldn't do anything else," he said to her. Kassie felt a fire welling up inside of her.

"You don't just leave another human being to die! You especially don't leave them stranded on a roof handcuffed! Where the hell did you get your hands on a pair of handcuffs anyway?" she asked, furious about this situation. Rick approached Kassie, holding his hat and looking somewhat guilty.

"I was the one who put him there ma'am. He was out of control and we had to restrain him or he could have hurt us. Rick Grimes ma'am," he said, offering his head out to shake. She waved his hand off, not wanting to accept anything they had to say. None of them seemed the least bit worried Merle was left on a roof top to die. Kassie retreated to her tent, unwilling to handle any of them. The night carried on and she was unable to get any sleep. She tossed and turned all throughout the night. Her mind drifted on Merle being held captive on top of the roof. She thought about how upset Daryl would be when he got back from his hunt. On top of everything, she wasn't used to sleeping without Daryl's arms wrapped around her.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

After hours of tossing and turning, Kassie finally fell asleep. Nightmares filled her dream world of Merle Dixon being devoured by walkers. She woke up after every dream, gasping for air and sweating nervously. She laid back down each time, pulling her handgun closer to her. When the sun finally broke through the horizon, Kassie woke up and didn't dare return to her recurring nightmares. She changed into a clean set of clothes and walked out into the camp. Everyone eyed her, waiting for another outbreak of anger. She calmly made her way down to the lake, preparing to wash laundry with the other ladies. It was silent between them for the first hour of washing clothes. Lori spoke up, breaking the silence.

"Rick wants to go back to the city and rescue Merle. He awful and guilty about leaving him there," she said. Kassie looked at her, saying nothing and simply smiling as she continued to work. Lori removed her glance from Kassie, realizing her feelings towards the situation were still bitter. Kassie set grabbed her wet laundry and carried it up to the line where Carol was. The short haired woman smiled as she approached her.

"Hi sweetie, how are you doing today?" she asked, not flinching she might scream at her. Kassie respected this, looking over at her happy.

"I am doing well. It was odd sleeping by myself in the tent. I went from sharing a dorm room to sharing a tent. Before that, my sister and I always shared a room. I never realized it would make such a difference," Kassie laughed off. Carol and her pinned more clothes on the line to hang to dry.

"Tell me about your family. What were they like?" Carol asked her. Kassie felt a tug at her heart strings, thinking about her fiver person family.

"There was my mom and dad. My mom worked when I was younger but decided to stay at home and just be a house wife when I was ten years old. My dad worked at the same factory since he was twenty years old. They were both amazing parents and did anything and everything for my siblings and I. I was the oldest child. I took all honors course and advanced courses in high school. I was valedictorian at my small town high school. My brother was just graduating high school this year. He was going to follow in my steps and go to Atlanta for college. He was big into sports and athletics in high school. He was going to play baseball and be the star pitcher. Then there was my youngest sister. She was a few years older than Carl. She could pick up and instrument she never knew the name of and play it like she was a professional. She could sing, dance, and master anything musically inclined. She dreamed of being a part of the Philharmonic or Broadway. My parents got a little bit of everything from us. We were all close. It hurts not knowing what has happened to them. I don't know if they are alive or dead. I wonder everyday about how bad Indiana got hit," Kassie finished, pinning the last article of clothing to the line. Carol grabbed ahold of Kassie and hugged her tightly. Kassie was shocked but hugged her back, feeling the same love her mother gave her every time she left the house for a new semester. Tears were sitting in the brim of her eyes. Kassie pushed them back, not wanting everyone's attention on her. Suddenly, a blood curdling scream broke up the moment and caught everyone's attention in the camp. Carl, Sophia, and Jacqui ran over to where Kassie and Carol were. Sophia clutched both of them, shaking like a leaf.

All of the men dashed to where the kids came from, carrying guns and other weapons. Kassie tossed a knife to Carol and both of them followed the men. In the clearing was a walker feasting on a deer. Dale came up behind the group and severed the head of the walker. Kassie walked over to the head and stabbed it.

"It's not gonna die if you don't get its head," she said to them. Amy and Andrea scurried backwards when the bushes next to the deer rustled. Daryl appeared out of them, allowing the men to lower their weapons. He looks over and sees Kassie standing with a knife in hand. He put his crossbow down and hugged her. He then noticed the deer he'd been tracking, taking in the spot where the walker had feasted on it.

"Damn it all to hell. I tracked that thing for miles! Stupid son of a bitch!" he yelled, kicking the walkers head into the deep woods. He turned back to Kassie, only showing a slight scowl on his face. The smile from Daryl's arrival was now gone, realizing he had to know the worst news he could get.

"Daryl, these people need to tell you something," Kassie said, waving her hand to them as they walked back up to the camp. Daryl peered left and right, apparently looking for Merle. He stopped in his tracks, grabbing Kassie's wrist. He whispered in her ear.

"Merle's dead ain't he?" Daryl asked her. She shook her head, biting her lip. Fear came over her as she began telling Daryl what happened.

"The sheriff over there, he handcuffed Merle to the roof of a department store in Atlanta. Merle started acting like Merle and they just left him there! They left him there like wild animal! How cruel and inhuman can you be?" she started shouting, making sure everyone in the camp could hear her. They all shied away from her as she screamed. Daryl dropped Kassie's wrist and rushed over to where Rick and Shane were standing. He threw the squirrels from his shoulder at Rick. Shane held him back in a choke hold as Daryl started swinging punches. Kassie ran over to Daryl, holding her hands up to stop him.

"He was out of control anyway Daryl. He isn't much of a team player it seems," Rick said. Daryl shrugged this off, already knowing the truth. Rick tried explaining to Daryl what happened, but Daryl simply walked around and ignored him. T-Dog came out from the trees and dropped the wood he had gathered when he saw Daryl.

"Daryl, this was entirely my fault. I was the one who dropped the key in the drain. I could have tried harder to help him, but I didn't. I chained the door shut so no walkers could get to him. I tried, but not hard enough," T-Dog said sullenly. Daryl's angered appeared as though it had subsided a bit after hearing T-Dog's explanation. He picked up his crossbow and slung it across his back, looking out at the rest of the group members.

"Just tell me where you left him so I can go get him," was all Daryl said in return. Rick came forward, telling Daryl he was going with. T-Dog agreed to go because this was mostly his fault. Glenn was volunteered by Rick to go, agreeing because he knew the streets better than anyone. Kassie walked next to Daryl and Glenn, checking the rounds in her gun.

"I'm going too," she said casually. Shane threw his hands up in the air at this discussion.

"I am already risking four of my men out there. There is no way in hell you are joining them," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. Kassie looked over at Daryl, looking for a way out of staying the camp alone for another night.

"You told Daryl from day one that I was his responsibility. Last I checked, he couldn't keep a good eye on me if he is in Atlanta and I am stuck here at the camp site. Now, I am going with and I am going to help rescue Merle, mainly, because if it were up to you, Merle would be left to rot on top of that roof with no chance," she said back to him. He scowled at her and stormed off towards his tent. Daryl looked at her, smirking in a sexy manner.

"Well come along darling, we got a hell of a search ahead of us," he said to her. She raced over to the group of four men. To her surprise, Daryl wrapped his arms around her waist and placed a kiss to her forehead. Glenn and T-Dog stared at them in shock while Rick talked to his family. Kassie sat in the front seat next to Daryl, feeling perfectly at home.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter seven

The truck traveled down the path leading out to the suburban neighborhood that the camp hid them from. Daryl had his hand placed on top of Kassie's, almost as a way to relieve his thoughts from Merle. Rick kept peering from the road to Daryl and Kassie, investigating and observing their behavior. The truck came to a stop near the bottom a hill, right outside of a fenced in area.

"We have to go on foot," Glenn said to the group. Everyone grabbed their weapons and prepared to make their way into the city. Without having to shoot any walkers and with minimal trouble, the group of five made their way to a department store in Atlanta. Kassie stared down the road, remembering her dorm room was less than a mile down the same street.

"Come on," Glenn said, pulling her from her thoughts. Kassie closed the door behind them, placing pieces of debris in front of it for reassurance. T-Dog nodded at her as she stayed behind the rest of the men. They traveled up the stair to the roof where T-Dog had chained the door. Daryl approached the door, picking up a chain and lock, tossing it in the direction of the men behind him. He crashed through the doorway, screaming for Merle and searching every square inch of space. Glenn and Kassie stayed back, not wanting to witness what could have been left of the elder Dixon brother. That was when all five of them noticed a large pool of blood centered around a severed hand. Daryl raised his cross bow to T-Dog's head, then Rick raised his gun to Daryl's head.

"My brother cut his own damn hand off cause you sons of bitches left him up here!" Daryl shouted at them. More threats went back forth between them before Daryl lowered his weapon and took a bandana from T-Dog. He wrapped Merle's remaining hand and shoved it into Glenn's book bag, making both he and Kassie's stomach churn.

"Kassie, please tell me there isn't a hand in by book bag," Glenn stated, with his face turning a shade of green. She looked at him, almost laughing at his dismay.

"Sorry, but I can't deny the facts," she said back. The group then began then tracking droplets of blood that lead out from roof. Daryl was in front and Kassie pushed her way next to him, not wanting to bring up the tail end of the group. There were walkers taken down in the path with the blood droplets, signifying Merle was here. As they entered a kitchen area, the smell of burning flesh filled their nostrils. Kassie picked up an old iron, seeing the remnants of burning flesh on it.

"Guys, look at this!" she exclaimed, causing the men to run over to the stove. Daryl and Rick analyzed the iron. Daryl shook his head at it, smirking a bit.

"My brother is tough. The only person who can kill Merle is Merle," he said, noticing where Merle exited the building. They discussed they were going to search for Merle some more after they got the guns.

"I was wondering if we could travel down to the set or dorms down the road after we get ahold of the guns," she said before they exited the building. They looked at her curiously, the shrugged their shoulders.

"I'll take her down there," T-Dog said.

"She's my responsibility, I'll take her," Daryl said, becoming very protective of her. Glenn interrupted, gathering the attention of the group.

"No, we need you to get the bag of guns. Your crossbow is quitter than any other weapon we have here. There won't be as many walkers that way since that section of the town was evacuated before all of this," Glenn said confidently. The group agreed and headed off their separate ways. Daryl grabbed her arm before Kassie entered the street. He brought his lips to hers softly. They three others stared at them, shocked at Daryl showing affections towards anyone.

"Be careful darling," Daryl whispered to her. She nodded and kissed his cheek before heading down the road with T-Dog.

It was silent between them as they raced between cars and other debris, avoiding the scarce amount of walkers in this section of the city. The duo approached the building Kassie clearly remembered being a part of her old life in the previous four years. She opened the front door, greeted with the lobby looking identical to how she left it over a month ago. Kassie raced up the stair well as if she was heading back from another party or sorority meeting. When she entered the hall her room was on, she was faced with the same scene she saw all those mornings ago. The smell of rotting flesh had intensified. The once fresh blood was now a brownish shade and dried to the walls and floors. Doors were left wide open from the immediate evacuation of the building. T-Dog followed closely behind Kassie as they entered the room at the end of the hall.

"Was this your dorm room Kassie?" T-Dog asked. Kassie shook her head yes, not speaking a word. She sifted through the stuff scattered along the floors. She grabbed a large duffel bag from the closet that matched the one she had when she entered the camp. She put the rest of her clothes, shampoo, soap, and other basic necessities she could find in her room into the bag. A picture frame sat on the desk in the corner by her desk. On it was a five person family, smiling and posed next to a river. She placed in the bag and zipped it closed.

"I was thinking we could raid some of the rooms for other things like food and more clothes. I never kept food in my room because I always ate out. There shouldn't be a lot of danger here because we were all evacuated by the government when things turned," she said somberly. T-Dog headed to one room and Kassie headed to another. After three hours of searching through room on that level, they had filled three more duffel bags worth of supplies to bring back to the camp.

"Everyone should be pretty happy about this stuff. I never knew college students hoarded this much stuff in their little dorm rooms!" he exclaimed. Kassie laughed, remembering about times she and her friends had.

"I was hoping Sidney's room still had some leftover alcohol. She must have just run out before we got evacuated," she said smiling in return. They walked back down the same staircase and entered the lobby. Kassie turned around, looking back over the lobby that had been a big part of her life. Tears were streaming down her eyes as flashbacks played back in her memory. Friends and family that she had lost came up, pulling at her heart strings. Before she could break down into full on sobs, she exited out the front door with T-Dog. She wiped at her eyes and headed down the road for the last time, leaving behind every memory and every bit of her past. After months of this new world, she realized nothing was going to be returning to the formal normal anytime soon. As she felt a wave of relief coming over her for forgetting everything she previously knew, a collection of screams pulled her directly into her new life of fear and survival.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

T-Dog and Kassie ran as fast as they could back down the road to the building they left Rick, Daryl, and Glenn at. The trip back to the building took much longer with each of them carrying almost three duffel bags each. They rushed through the same door they exited, barricading the door once again. Within the office area they organized their mission, Rick, Daryl and an unrecognized teenage boy sat on the floor. Daryl pulled the severed hand from Glenn's book bag tossing it to the boy. He shrieked, cussing in Spanish.

"What in the hell is going on here?" Kassie asked looking at the scene in front of her. Daryl looked up at her angered and red faced. The stress of the situation was clear across Rick's face.

"This little Mexican douche bags group stole Glenn an' the bag of guns we were getting." Daryl said, kicking over a chair. She walked over to the boy and kneeled next to him. He scooted away from her in fear.

"Tell me what happened," she asked him with a soft smile. He looked at her differently than he did Daryl.

"This punta redneck here started screaming about his brother and tackled me to the ground. My cousins came for me and he shot Philippe with an arrow! Yea, they took your Chinese friend when he had the guns we were after. And now that redneck is trying to cut my feet off! He chopped a man's hand off senorita! Punta loco!" he explained to her. Kassie snickered a bit on the inside about Daryl cutting off the young boy's feet.

"Daryl es no mal. We will return you to your group as long as we get Glenn back in full health. Si?" she asked him. He shook his head yes and she offered him a hand up. The men looked at her funny as they walked out of the building. Miguel led them to the building where Glenn was being held hostage. They approached the area, waiting for the large warehouse door to open. When it did, a tall thin man was revealed, followed by two more burly men. Miguel, Rick and Kassie walked up the man, Daryl staying back.

"From what I hear, you have one of our men in there. We have one of your men out here. We are willing to make a trade. Seems quite fair to me," she said, keeping her hand on the gun in in holster. The man looked at her and cocked his head, crossing his arms and laughing.

"So, is some little white girl supposed to convenience me to let your Asian friend go after assaulting my men first? Besides, we are after our guns," he said back. Kassie grimaced on the inside, hoping it would be easier than this to trade people back.

"Those are my guns. I dropped them when I first entered the city," Rick spoke up. The man looked at him, scoffing him off.

"Your guns? They were laying in the street. They could be anyone's guns. Now, either hand over the guns and Miguel or," he said, being cut off by an older woman. She was calling for Philippe, one of the men out front.

"Tu abuela?" Kassie asked the men. Miguel looked back at her shaking his head. The old woman came into view then. She pushed past the men with guns, getting to the front.

"Abuela, get in the back," said the bigger man. She shook her head, mumbling incoherently between English and Spanish. Kassie walked up to the woman, placing her arm on the old woman's.

"Qué la problema?" Kassie asked the woman. She recognized and completely understood the question, turning towards Kassie.

"Please help, he can't breathe!" she screamed, dragging Kassie to the back with her. Daryl, Rick, and T-Dog followed behind her, along with the other men. Kassie looked in every direction, seeing rooms upon rooms of elderly people and care takers. It hit her, this was a nursing home. These people were protecting their loved ones from the hell outside. She felt her heartstrings being pulled, wishing she could do everything in her might to help. They approached a man in a wheelchair where Glenn was. The big man with the gun pulled out an inhaler and gave it to him.

"He was having an asthma attack," Glenn said, eying the man breathing again. Guillermo pulled the group aside to another room. They each sat down, willing to hear what he had to say.

"Me and Philippe worked here. He was a nurse, I was a custodian. Everyone else left when things got bad. They just left them to die. We stayed, trying to convenience the families of these people to stay when they came. Most do stay. We know this isn't going to last forever. We aren't that naïve. Those of us here feel like this place gives us some kind of purpose in this God forsaken world," he finished up. Kassie felt tears brimming in her eyes. Glenn looked at her noticing this. She grabbed the bag and began separating out guns and ammunition. Rick helped her, obviously feeling the same way.

"Please Guillermo, take these as an apology. You need to help these people. They look up to you and Philippe. You are there for them and need protection," she said, handing over the weapons. He nodded at her, smiling back.

"Gacias," he said to her.

"De nada," she answered back. The group of five left the boarded up nursing home with half of the guns and Glenn back in their possession. They traced their steps back to the office and gathered the many bags they had left sit. Then, the group headed back to their van they drove into the outskirts of the city. Kassie trailed a few steps behind the others, struggling with her bags. Daryl stepped back to her and grabbed one of them.

"Why did you give our guns away like that?" he asked her, not seeming pleased. Kassie looked at him, smiling and proud of her choice.

"Their entire true goal was to protect those old people. They probably shouldn't be kidnapping people for some guns, but they truly had good intentions. I didn't want to leave them defenseless, I couldn't live with myself," she answered back to him. Daryl grabbed her hand and nervously intertwined his fingers with hers. He bit his lip with a small smile on his face.

"You sure are something Kassie," he said, not letting go of her hand.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The group approached the gate where the truck should have been. Glenn and T-Dog stood with their jaws to the ground. Rick had his arms crossed with a scowl on his face. Kassie and Daryl looked around the area, confused as to how a box van could go missing.

"Merle stole it, I just know it," Rick said to them. Not another word was exchanged as they began to run up the trail leading into the mountain pass. The sun was setting fast, making each of them push harder to get back to camp. Just as they knew camp was within their sights, screams and gun shots erupted. They loaded their guns and had them ready shot as they entered the camp. Walkers were everywhere, infiltrating the camp. Kassie shot one in the head that was chasing after Andrea. Everything became a blur as people around her kept shooting the dead and mauling them with blunt objects. She saw Daryl unloading arrows into the decaying bodies. Her clip ran out and she loading it, aiming at nothing now. Everyone standing was living; everyone on the ground was dead. Kassie lowered her gun, staring at the horrific scene all around her. Without letting her guard down, she walked over to Daryl.

"I think it's clear now," he said to her. She placed her gun back into its holster. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the dead bodies scattered throughout the camp. She felt Daryl's thumb caress her wrist, noticing her looking around the camp. Kassie finally looked into Daryl's eyes and wrapped her arms around him. He stood shocked for a moment before wrapping his arms around her. Silent tear ran down her face. All she could hear ringing throughout the camp were the cries and sobs of reunited families and those who lost loved ones during the small invasion. A hand brushed through her long hair, untangling knots. After what felt like hours but was actually fifteen minutes, Daryl led Kassie onto the RV. They lay down on the small bed in the back. He kept his arms wrapped around her until she settled into a deep sleep.

Her night was filled with visuals of those around her being bitten and eaten by the monstrous creatures surrounding her. No matter how many time s shot, more of the creatures appeared from the darkness. Just was one grabbed her ankle and began biting into it, she jolted from her slumber. Her caught in her throat as she was hyperventilating. Within seconds, Daryl was sitting up beside her.

"Kassie, calm down. It was a bad dream," he said to her. She felt herself begin to cry out of happiness that Daryl was unharmed beside her. He comforted her until her breathing evened out and her crying stopped. She brushed away the last of her tears and began gathering a change of clothes for the new day. She washed her face in the bathroom and brushed her out to put it into a long braid down her back. Daryl was dressed and ready to go just as the sun was peeking over the tree line.

"Well, we should probably get ready to deal with all of that," she said, pointing out the window. Just as she started walking to the front of the RV, Daryl grabbed her wrist. He smashed his lips onto hers before she could protest. Kassie melted into the kiss, preferring that over cleaning up the death and destruction outside. Kassie pulled him closer to her, wrapping her arms around his neck. He kissed along her jawline then, causing sparks to course through her veins. She ran her fingers through his hair and tugged lightly on it. Before anything went any further, he removed his lips from her neck and stared into her eyes. She smiled at him, receiving a small smirk back from him. This type of affection was something he didn't show to anyone else in the group. She pecked his lips and they walked out of the RV, hand in hand. Rick, Shane, Glenn, and T-Dog were currently moving bodies into separate piles: people from their group and previously walkers. Daryl and Kassie joined them without a word, hauling the nearest body to the pile to be burned. Sounds of knives and other weapons squishing into the skulls of the dead continued for hours. By now, the entire camp was hauling bodies into the different piles. Kassie was unloading bodies from the truck getting ready to burn them. When Shane gave her the OK, she dropped the lighter onto the pile. The bodies went up into flames, sending a stench of rotting and burning decomposed flesh everywhere. She put her hand over her nose and joined Daryl back into his truck. Shane crawled into the back and they drove back to the living area.

"So, what are we going to do about Amy?" Kassie asked Daryl. He kept his eyes on the trail in front of them.

"I say we stab her in the head and bury her before she comes back. No one else thinks that is right. I don't like risking her coming back and attacking us," he said back to her. Kassie shook her head, agreeing with him. Just as they parked and exited the truck, Kassie saw the inevitable. Amy was moving again and Andrea wasn't moving from her side. Then, a gunshot sounded and Amy was lying once again lifelessly on the ground. Andrea's sobs were heard all over camp. Everyone stared at the scene, feeling the heartache Andrea felt from losing other family members and loved ones. Andrea stood and began dragging Amy's body to a grave site with the help of Rick and T-Dog. Kassie went back to her and Daryl's tent, packing their stuff, knowing they would be moving out soon. Just as she got to the tent, a generic ringing sound went off; this was her cell phone in her duffel bag. She dug though the stuff in the bag until she found the small item. Over thirty messages were blowing up her phone. Many of them were from her parent, tracing all the way back to the day when Merle and Daryl had found her.

"Kassie sweetie, what was that noise?" asked Carol as she raced over to the tent. Kassie's eyes were glued to the phone. She read several different messages, many of them telling her to stay put and stay in Atlanta. The messages explained that Indiana was hit just as bad as Georgia and wasn't safe. Her family had begun to head down to her. The last message was from her sister reading "_We just managed to pass through the northern border of Kentucky. The military is everywhere. I hope you are getting these messages. I miss you more than ever Kassie. I hope you are alive and I hope you are fighting like the strong girl I know you are. We are all coming for you. Stay in Atlanta and we will find you. Don't give up. I love you, we all love you". _ The message was sent two days ago. Kassie's entire body was shaking with sobs as she placed the phone in Carol's hands to read. The woman read through the messages then tightly hugged her.

"They are coming and they don't know how bad it is! Do you think they are still alive?" she asked the older woman. She smiled back to Kassie confidently.

"They love you and are determined to see you. I believe they are still alive. We just need to have faith they are going to find us," she said back to her. There was little to no remorse in her tone about losing Ed, her abusive husband. Kassie assumed it was something that hurt her, but secretly made her feel free. They exited the tent in silence, carrying the phone over to show Shane and Rick.

"Fort Benning is over one hundred miles away!" Rick said to Shane. Shane began to open his mouth to retaliate when both men saw Carol and Kassie walking up to him. They saw the red streaks and splotches in Kassie's eyes, forgetting their arguments and curious about what she had to say. She handed them the phone, open to the last text message. As they read it, more people began to surround the group. Andrea rushed over and grabbed the phone without permission, reading through the message. Everyone began reading it, in awe and shocked at what they saw. There were other survivors. There were survivors headed to them.

"What am I supposed to send back to them? Do I tell them to come find us here?" Kassie asked looking at Rick and Shane. They looked at each other with the same intensity as before Kassie had interrupted them.

"Tell them to head towards the CDC," was all Shane said before walking off. Rick smiled and nodded at her, giving her the assurance that this was the right choice. While they were explaining to the rest of the group their plan, she sent her text back to her sister.

_Atlanta was overrun and I escaped. I am with a decent sized group outside the city. Tomorrow, we are headed to the CDC. Make your way there and we will be waiting on you. I will see all of you soon. I love all of you with all my heart. Stay as safe as possible._

She clicked the send button and placed the phone back into her pocket. Everybody was scattering around the campground, collecting their stuff to get ready to move out the following morning. Suddenly, a scream erupted through the camp again. Kassie's heart raced, ready to attack more walkers. She had her gun ready to shoot and met up with Daryl ready to stab something. What they saw instead was Jacqui pointing at Jim. She kept yelling that he was bit. The men held him back and lifted his shirt, exposing a fresh bite mark on his rib cage. Everyone shirked backwards, knowing what this meant. Rick approached him, leading him away and into the RV and away from everyone's eyes. Fear rushed through Kassie, knowing there was an infected man living among healthy people. She didn't want to face this new situation, so she went back to the tent. She organized her two duffel bags, pushing clothes and other items into them. Daryl came by after an hour, stomping into the tent.

"They are planning on taking him with us! He's a dead man and they know it. I don't understand why they are thinking this place is gonna have a cure. Wouldn't they have said something by now?" he angrily said as he gathered his belongings. When he sat down on his sleeping bag, Kassie crawled over to him and put her hand in his.

"I am extremely uncomfortable with Jim going with us. What is he infects someone else and it begins to spread. I don't feel like dying because Rick needs to be a savior. Not that I support killing people, but this is different and the world is different," she sighed, leaning into Daryl's side. His initial angered had calmed down. She smiled at him and got a small back from him, more than anyone else saw. He leaned in and placed his lips on hers for a few minutes.

"Let's get our stuff ready for tomorrow," he said to her. They gathered the rest of their things and had them ready to go for early the next morning. Kassie snuggled herself tightly against Daryl's chest, trying to keep away the nightmares of Jim turning halfway through their travel.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Kassie, we have to wake up now," Daryl whispered to the sleeping girl. She opened her eyes, squinting because of the sun. Daryl kissed her forehead, making her happier to wake up. Memories about Jim and their plan to go to the CDC flooded back into her mind. She removed her pajamas and put on the set of clothes she had left set out. She carried out the bags from the tent and placed them in the back of his truck around Merle's motorcycle. Her and Daryl dismantled the tent and placed it along with the bags. As they walked over to the group, one of the families was saying their goodbyes. Rick handed them a weapon and they went on their way. Kassie was shocked a family with young children would choose to take on this world by themselves. The remaining members of the group went to their vehicles and began traveling in a caravan away from the camp. It felt foreign to everyone, seeing as this was where they had all began living when this epidemic started.

As they began their travels down the road, Kassie stared at the cars along the road. Dead people were inside the cars, reminding her that her family was out there, possibly just like one of these cars they were passing by. Daryl noticed her staring at the scenes they passed by. He grabbed her hand and motioned for her to come closer to him. She did and he placed his arm around her waist.

"Your family's gonna be ok and come join us. I know that's what you're thinking about," he said. She smiled, happy he was so confident in people he'd never met. She didn't say anything back and just enjoyed being next to Daryl. The caravan traveled along at a steady pace. Kassie felt herself drifting into a light nap and using Daryl's shoulder as a pillow. Just as her eyes began to fall shut, the signal of the horn went off to stop the caravan. The sound woke Kassie from her light sleep, fearing the worse had come from Jim. As her and Daryl approached the group, they saw Dale once again looking at the front of the RV.

"Radiator hose has gone bad again," he said, fiddling with the insides. A sigh came from everyone, curious as to why Dale insisted on keeping the RV. Shane and T-Dog volunteered to go find a new one somewhere amongst the debris or at the gas station. They began walking away and Jacqui came storming off of the RV.

"Jim's gotten really bad," she said urgently. Rick climbed onto the RV and talked to him. He got emerged from the RV before Shane and T-Dog had gotten back. Distressed, Rick ran his hand through his hair.

"Jim wants us to leave him behind. He is in so much pain that just the bumps in the road hurt him. We can't just abandon him!" Rick said loudly.

"We should respect his wishes Rick. If he wants us to leave him here, we should do what he wants," Dale said to them. Lori agreed with him. Everyone else began to agree with them. As soon as Shane and T-Dog got back from their run, they were informed about what was happening. They both agreed and helped carry Jim off of the RV. The group set him up by a tree in the shade. After the stress of the last twenty four hours, Jim was finally smiling again. Everyone began saying their good byes to him. Kassie kneeled next to him and gave him a teary eyed hug.

"We are going to miss you Jim. You are an amazing person. You'll always be in our hearts," she said to him. He wiped her tears away and smiled.

"You keep that redneck of yours under control. You've made him a new man since you came to camp. Keep up the good fight and keep saving people. You are a good woman," he said back to her. More tears poured from her eyes and she hugged him one last time. Daryl nodded to him and joined Kassie. As they all took their seats in the vehicles and the caravan pulled away, Kassie peered one more over to Jim. He gave her thumbs up and she gave one back. Just like that, Jim was gone from their group.

The caravan finally pulled into the city just as the sun was leaving the sky. They parked the cars and began walking up to the large building. Dead bodies of military personnel were laying everywhere. The smell the decaying flesh filled everybody's nostrils. Kassie could feel bile climbing up her throat from the stench. Shutters were over the doors and no open entrance could be seen anywhere. Rick pounded on the side of the building, making an immense amount of noise.

"Rick, stop! This is a dead end, there is no one here," Kassie shouted above his pounding. She tried holding him back, making him realize a few walkers were getting attracted to the sound. He never stopped, yelling at people he believed to be inside the complex. As Kassie was looking at the door, she saw a camera above them move and aim its lens at them. Her mind went crazy, realizing there must be someone on the inside.

"We have gotta get out of the city before the sun falls. It is too dangerous," both Carol and Lori screamed holding onto Carl and Sophia. Kassie shook her head.

"Rick's right, there is someone in there. That camera moved! We both saw it!" Kassie said back to them. Shane grabbed Rick and Daryl grabbed Kassie and tore them away from the door. As the two fought them off trying to get back to the door, a noise sounded around them. The shutter lifted up and revealed a bright white light. For a spilt second, nobody moved. All they could do was stare at the almost extraterrestrial light. Quickly then, they all invaded the doorway. It closed just as T-Dog brought in the back of the group. A man in a white coat came around the corner carrying a shot gun.

"What are you looking for?" he asked them.

"A chance," Rick replied back to him. Kassie kept her hand close to her gun, but not pulling it. The scientist scoffed at them.

"That's asking a lot these days," he said back.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

After very little debate, the scientist named Edwin Jenner brought the group into a small lab for blood testing for the disease. Each of them took their turn in the seat for the test. Kassie sat and felt the needle go into her arm. She was never afraid of needles and prepared for the test. She began to stand and stumbled back into her seat from being light headed. The lack of proper nourishment had made her and everyone else weak. Daryl helped her up and took her place. Carol helped her back to a seat. Jenner looked at them odd after Andrea also almost fell to the ground.

"We haven't eaten for a few days," Jacqui said to him. He smiled and put the needles and vials of blood into a case.

"I think I can help with that," he said back to them. He led the group to a room with a large table and another door. Behind the second door was a long, narrow room stocked with food, drinks, and alcohol. A smile crept on everyone's faces as they saw all the different varieties of food. Each person grabbed a different item and cheered running from the room. Daryl and Kassie both grabbed a bottle of wine and kissed each other. Lori and Carol grabbed food to make a meal. Daryl and Kassie sat at the small breakfast nook area. Glenn carried a box of plates, glasses, utensils and other items necessary for a nice dinner. Kassie helped him set the table before going back and talking to the group. Daryl and her finished the first bottle of wine quickly, feeling it warm their bodies. Everyone talked with each other, almost like a big family.

"Kassie! We wanna try some of that!" Sophia said, approaching her with Carl by her side. Kassie laughed and Daryl smirked beside her.

"I think you should ask your momma's if that is ok," Kassie said looking over at Lori and Carol.

"Go ahead Soph, but I but you won't like it!" Carol said. Kassie poured her a small amount in a paper cup and she drank it quickly. A grimacing look went across her face and she stuck her tongue out.

"Mom, I wanna try it too!" Carl said. Lori shook her head no before Dale said something to change her mind. He tried the same amount as Sophia and had the same exact reaction.

"You kids gonna stick to your soda then?" she asked with a laugh. They shook their heads yes and went back to the table. Daryl wrapped his arm around Kassie and pulled her close to him.

"More for us then," he said to her before handing her the bottle. Just as Kassie was taking a drink straight from the bottle, Lori and Carol announced the food was ready and brought platters to the table. Everyone took a place behind a plate and began serving themselves like it was Thanksgiving. Everyone was silent, not holding back from eating like animals. They were all hungry, feeling like they hadn't had real food in forever. Rick stood and gave a toast to Jenner who stood in the back of the room. Daryl raised he and Kassie bottle of wine and shouted "Booyah" followed by everyone. Shane spoke up, questioning Jenner on what actually happened in the facility. The excitement died down, all looking at their plates and at Jenner.

"They all, opted out. They either ran at the onset of the outbreak or committed suicide shortly either. I am the only one left here," he said back glumly. Nobody said anything after this. Mumbles came from Glenn about being a party pooper and mood killer. They walked through the main science room and looked around at the lab. Kassie's eyes were fixated on the red clock counting down. Due to the intake of alcohol, her mind was not processing quickly. She recognized it as a symbol from somewhere, and not something joyous. But, she blew it off when they reached the next doorway leading to their sleeping areas.

"Each room is going to have one bed and one couch. The rec room will have games and books for the kids. Just do not plug in any of the electronics. And take it easy on the hot water in the showers," he said before leaving everyone to find their rooms. Daryl and Kassie took the room furthest from group. Shane turned around then; obviously mad they took the room he wanted. They placed their things down and lay on the bed. Kassie grabbed the bottle of wine and drank a large portion of it before drunkenly crawling on top of Daryl. She whipped her hair to the side and kissed him roughly. He moaned against her mouth in shock and pleasure and placed his hands on the small of her back. A small force brought them closer together. She raked her fingers threw his hair and bit along his neck. A moan escaped from Daryl and he pushed his way on top of Kassie. Her back landed on the mattress and Daryl's teeth were lightly grazing against and nipping across her collar bone. As they continued kissing, Kassie began undoing the buttons on Daryl's shirt. The only thing that stopped her was a knock coming from their door. Daryl got off from on top of Kassie and she answered the door, being less disheveled. Glenn was waiting outside and handed her another bottle of wine before winking and walking away.

"I'm gonna go ahead and abuse that hot shower now," she said, grabbing a set of clothes from her bag. Daryl was absorbed in the bottle of wine and gave her thumbs up. She walked into the bathroom and saw shampoo, conditioner, toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, and many other products she never thought she'd be so happy to see. She turned the handle so only steaming hot water poured from the shower head. Her cloths lay in a dirty, crumpled mess on the floor as she stepped into the cascading waterfall. Dirty, blood, and other grime poured off her body and down the drain. With the aid of a cloth, Kassie scrubbed down every part of her body until she pale white skin was visible. She scrubbed shampoo and conditioner through her hair, bringing it back to its smooth and untangled state. The hot water trickled over her body and she was able to relax, something she hadn't done in months. Behind her, the door to the bathroom opened. She turned around and Daryl was naked and entering the shower stall with her. His arms snaked around her waist and he pressed his forehead against hers.

"Now, where were before Chinaman interrupted?" he whispered to her.


	12. Chapter 12

***Hello hello my readers! If you have made it to this point, thank you so much for reading this far! I do not like to leave notes very often, but I feel as though this is necessary. I have my story only rated at T because I do not plan on having an immense amount of sexual content within this story. I am not an experienced erotica writer, but would like to become more familiar. If this bothers you at all or if you don't want the story possibly ruined in anyway, you can continue reading at the fifth paragraph and not lose any plot changing content. Thank you for the understanding! Please continuing reading and reviewing!***

Chapter 12

The hot water hit their bodies as they continued kissing and touching each other in the shower. Kassie ran her hands all over his body, running her fingers over every muscle on his arms, back, and stomach. Daryl caressed every part of her silky skin that he could. He pushed her against the wall, pushing his hardening arousal against her. Moans escaped from Kassie. She had been secretly wishing for this to happen between them. He placed his hand under her thighs and lifted her up onto his waist. The water shut off and he carried her back to the bed. He placed her softly down, leaving kisses down her neck onto her chest. One hand kneaded her breast and his mouth attacked the other. Louder moans came from her as he flicked his tongue and teeth against her nipple. Against her sensitive skin, she could feel him smirking every time she moaned. He alternated breasts, leaving them red and swollen. Daryl kissed down her stomach and them back up to her lips.

"You are so beautiful and sexy," he said to her between kisses. Without given a chance to respond, she just continued kissing him back. Kassie soaked in every moment, not knowing if this could be the last time she ever got to experience this with him. His hand snaked its way between her thighs, pushing one finger into her. Hotness went over her as he explored more of her. She gasped, feeling his finger brush lightly over her sweet spot. He did it again, enjoying making her make noises in pleasure. He inserted another finger into her. He then bit down her neck, eager to go further with her.

"I want you," he growled to her. His tone turned her on even more. She tugged him down to her and kissed him once more.

"And I want you too," she said back to him. He positioned himself above her and slid himself inside. Kassie felt herself adjusting to him, wanting more of him quickly. In only moments, he was pounding in and out of her. She dug her nail into his back and as she urged him to go harder and faster. He grunted with every thrust he made into her. Kassie had to fight the urge from moaning any louder in fear the others around would hear. He shifted a small bit, then hitting her repeatedly in her G-Spot. Before she could contain it, she had let out a small scream in pleasure. The muscles in her stomach started to constrict and she hit her climax. Daryl pounded himself completely into her a few more times before finishing inside of her. Kassie heart pounded as she came down from the adrenaline rush Daryl had given her. He kissed her ad pulled her into his lap. They sat naked, cuddling and kissing for thirty minutes. He played with the ends of her long hair and she ran her hand up and down his forearm.

"We should probably get dressed and get ready for bed," he said to her. She went back into the bathroom and grabbed the pajamas she had laid our prior to them having sex. She got her clothes on and was joined by Daryl as they rushed their teeth, brushed their hair, and washed their faces. Neither thought they would cherish being able to do the things they used to do every day.

"I'm gonna go grab a book from the rec room. Reading always helps me calm down and sleep," Kassie said while standing in the doorway. Daryl was already half asleep on the bed. She smiled and walked into something she didn't want to see. Shane was trying to make advancements onto Lori who was pushing and slapping him away. Three red marks were across his face now. Both of them turned to Kassie standing in the middle of the doorway. Lori backed away from him and exited the room. Infuriated, Kassie took the opposite direction and approached a red faced and angry Shane.

"What the hell are you thinking?" she said to him quietly, not to draw attention. He smirked, looking at her with lust.

"Trying to get some, what does it look like? And who are you to say anything. By the looks of it, I'd say you were in there fucking that white trash redneck," he said to her, pointing to the purple and black hickeys all over her neck and chest.

"Don't you dare call him that! He does more for this group any given day that you do. How about you show some respect," she said back to him. He took a step closer to her, grabbing her wrist.

"How about you come back to my room and give me head? You know, I could do a hell of a lot more for you than that dirty redneck," he said, trying to kiss her. Kassie slapped him on the opposite side Lori had, leaving a matching set of nail marks on his cheek.

"Get your disgusting hands off of me. You are drunk and you are a pervert. Stay away from me, stay away from Lori, and stay away from every other woman in this camp. None of us want you. And the next time you say something derogatory about my boyfriend, you are gonna be praying a slap to the face is all you receive," she scowled to him. He walked away from her, shaking his head and mumbling incoherently. The book shelf she was originally intending to visit held many different classics she couldn't wait to reread. _Animal Farm_ caught her eye first. She plucked the book from its place and walked back to her and Daryl's room. He was fast sleep. Even the clicking of the door didn't wake him. She curled underneath the blanket and opened the book to the first page. Halfway through the book and halfway through the night, she marked her page and turned out the lamp on the bedside table. Her head lay on Daryl's chest and draped an arm around his waist. His arm pulled him closer and snuggled her into his body. She fell asleep, feeling completely safe and protected.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The morning came around and Kassie woke up lying in Daryl's arms. He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. A smile appeared across her face, feeling as if everything was perfect. She got up from the bed and changed into her cleanest set of clothes. After tying her hair up into a high pony tail, she exited the room as Daryl was changing. She walked into the large laboratory they entered through when they first arrived at the facility. Each of the computers interested as she peered at them. Then, the bright red clock caught her attention. As its number decreased, it suddenly hit her. She knew what the clock was. Kassie knew what it was counting down. Her feet carried her as quick as they could back to her and Daryl's room. She slammed the door and began throwing their items into bags. Daryl exited the bathroom, stopping in the doorway to stare at her.

"Darling, what the hell are you doing?" he asked, sitting down on the bed. She picked up his clothes and shoved them frantically into his duffel bag.

"That clock, I knew I recognized it from somewhere. I couldn't process it last night from being drunk. When that thing hits zero, we can kiss our asses goodbye. This place is gonna explode or burn up or something along those lines," she said nearly said crying. She dashed past Daryl into the bathroom and collected the items on the sink. Daryl walked over to her and hugged her tightly.

"Kassie, this place isn't gonna explode. Why would Jenner have brought us in here to kill him and us? Why don't you just ask him what it is for?" he said, trying to calm her down. Kassie struggled from his grip and continued grabbing their stuff.

"Didn't you ever watch end of the world movies or play end of the world video games? They always ended with everyone trying to escape from the science lab that was risking blowing up! If we don't get out now, we are going to die in here!" she screamed. Daryl was now biting his lip, confused as to what to say.

"You are hung over and confused. Take a cold shower and get some breakfast. You will feel better darling," he said, wanting her to quiet down. Kassie was now completely sobbing, angered he didn't believe her.

"No, I am getting out of here," was all she said leaving the room with her bag. She walked into the laboratory to Jenner sitting in a chair. She put her stuff on the ground and walked over to him with her gun pulled. The doctor raised his hands, not looking the least bit worried.

"You are a sick bastard. You haven't even told my other people what is going to happen when that clock reaches zero. How can you just sit there and be ok with yourself? You are going to kill innocent women and children. You aren't even giving us a choice!" she screamed at him. With the blood rushing through her veins, Kassie could feel the anger rising in her. She walked closer to him, cornering Jenner against his computer. It was just then that everyone else in the group entered the room. Lori and Carol covered their children's eyes. Dale, Rick, Daryl, Glenn, and Shane rushed to the scene. Dale, Glenn, and Daryl tackled Kassie and pulled her gun from her. She was so numb from her anger that she didn't even put up a fight. Rick and Shane approached Jenner, yelling at him. The doors leading out of the laboratory slammed closed, making sure no one left.

"It is better this way. You don't have to struggle to survive. You don't have to feel pain anymore. It will happen quickly and then you will be happy again. You will have no more worries," he said, trying to convince them to stay. The clock continued ticking down and Kassie felt herself going number. Daryl kept beating against the door, hoping and praying it would eventually give in. The rest of the group sat without saying a word and crying.

"We just want a chance to survive. We want to live. We want the choice to face what is out there. Kassie was right, you aren't giving us that option," Rick said to the man. He stood and swiped his card across a metal thing near a computer. After typing in something on a keypad, the doors opened. Kassie's eyes shot to the exit, not believing they just opened. Hands grasped her wrist and drug her through the doorway. She stared into Daryl's blue eyes as they raced through the facility to the front lobby where they entered. Each person as they entered began beating against the glass windows. Nobody could break through them with any weapons. Axes bounced off the glass, bullets ricocheted from the glass, and other miscellaneous objects in the lobby never even made a crack. A mental countdown of the clock was implanted into everyone's head. They had about five minutes to get out of the building and make it to their vehicles.

"Rick, I think I have something that might help," Carol said as she picked through her purse. Everyone's eyes were on her and Shane scoffed, almost laughing at her.

"I don't think a nail file is going to help us," Shane said, right before Carol removed a hand grenade from her purse. Rick grabbed it took his place by the window. Everyone else hid far away and behind objects. Daryl place himself over Kassie to keep her safe. They heard Rick stampeding away from the window and then the signature blast from the grenade. Pieces of glass shattered to the ground and within seconds, Kassie was outside, dodging dead bodies and beating down walkers in her way. Vehicle doors were opened and slammed shut. Kassie peered through the front window and saw Andrea and Dale just exiting through the window. Jacquie had truly decided to stay behind. The building was going to blow up in thirty seconds. Everyone shouted for Andrea and Dale to get down and take cover. Daryl shoved Kassie underneath him in the truck to take cover. She grasped onto him, praying they were far enough away to be safe. A deafening crack sounded through the air and then the air around them intensified by almost thirty degrees. Sweat beads began to form immediately on their bodies. A few minutes after the initial explosion, everyone stared at the mess that was once the CDC. Flames and a mess of debris now filled the area. Dale and Andrea took their places on the RV once again. The caravan started once again and they headed to what was assumed to be Fort Benning. Kassie pulled the cell phone from the glove compartment of the truck and plugged in the phone charger.

_The CDC was nothing. It is nothing but a pile of concrete now. We are headed to Fort Benning now. Head there and we will meet you along the highway eventually, hopefully. Be safe and I love you guys._

She sent this message to her sister and received back a text within seconds. It was from her.

_We are headed there. We all love you so much._

She smiled a little bit at this. She knew her family was still alive out there. Daryl invited her to lie against him as they drove. She took the invitation and snuggled against him. He kissed her forehead. It then hit her; they hadn't really spoken since their argument in the room.

"I learned I need to listen to you. You could have saved all of us had I listened. I am sorry," he said to her.

"Daryl, you don't need to apologize," she said to him, laying her hand on top of his.

"Yes I do. I have to say it because I love you Kassie. Today, almost losing our lives made me realize that. I've never felt this strongly about anyone, ever. You are so special to me and I love you," he said again. Kassie blushed and smiled big snuggling against him more.

"I love you too Daryl. You are perfect to me," she said in return. And with that, the caravan continued heading to Fort Benning. Kassie's family was headed there too, making the trip feel as though there was a realizable goal. The young girl drifted to sleep, smiling and trying to forget the true hell that was her life.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The trip to Fort Benning had been slow going. Each vehicle began running out of gas at separate times. When the truck ran out of gas, Kassie and Daryl loaded their things onto the RV and took to riding Merle's motorcycle. Kassie loved feeling the wind rush through her hair as they traveled along the littered highway. Stray walkers would stare at them longingly as they passed by. Just then, the train of vehicles slows down. Daryl led them to the front of the caravan to see what the trouble was. More cars than they had seen before were blocking the way. They began snaking through the trail slowly. As if on cue, a popping noise sounds from the RV. Kassie turns to the vehicle, knowing the radiator hose had broken once more.

"While we are stuck here, we might as well gather some supplies. These cars have to have something we can use," Kassie said to the group. Each of them shook their heads. T-Dog grabbed several gas cans from the RV.

"I'll start siphoning gas. I know we can get that," he said, taking no time before heading to the first car. Despite some unannounced complaints from Lori, everyone went to work searching through the wreckage. Kassie held up several items of clothing in one car. Each of the pieces varied in sizes to fit everyone in the camp. She hauled the several garbage bags full of clothes to the RV so they could be fully sorted later. Daryl helped T-Dog siphon gas so Kassie helped watch Carl and Sophia.

"Let's search this car guys," Kassie said, helping them open the trunk. As they were collecting bottles of water and boxes of food, Rick came stampeding to them. He was frantic and keeping his voice low.

"Under the cars, now! There are walkers coming this way!" he shout-whispered to them. Carl dashed under a car next to the one they were going through. Kassie helped Sophia under the car they were going through and she joined her. Seconds later, decaying feet were shuffling past their faces. The bodies collided with the cars and made a variety of sounds. Sophia kept her mouth completely shut as tears streaked down her face. Kassie wrapped her arm around her and stroked her hair, trying to make her stay calm. Carol and Lori had their eyes on Kassie, Sophia, and Carl the entire time. The shuffle of the herd died down, making them think it had stopped. Just as they were beginning to move, that's when a walker began to invade the car Sophia and Kassie were under. Its face was inches from Kassie's and she pushed Sophia away from her. She pulled Kassie out and they went running into the woods.

"Stay close to me Sophia!" Kassie said, grabbing ahold of the young girls' hand. They ran towards the river and hid behind the thick bushes. The walker chasing them made its way past their hiding spot. Several had followed behind the initial attacker before they left their spot safely. They tried finding their way back to the highway, trying to remember where they had gone.

"Miss Kassie, are we lost?" Sophia asked. Kassie swallowed the lump in her throat. Fear was rising in her body. She dreaded being stuck in the forest with a child at night. The sun kept dropping and still they hadn't found the highway. Nobody from their group had found them either. After the sun had completely set behind the horizon, Kassie knew they wouldn't be returning to the caravan that night. They continued walking and found a small church through an opening. Sophia stayed hidden behind Kassie as they opened the door. Two walkers approached them and Kassie easily shot them down. The two girls barricaded the door and investigated the rest of the church. Sophia curled up on the cleanest pew and fell asleep immediately. Luckily, it was a warm night so the lack of a tent or blanket wasn't a problem. Kassie couldn't sleep. Her mind was focused on managing to find their way back to the group. She wanted to return Sophia to Carol and she wanted to return to Daryl and find her family. The night went on and Kassie eventually nodded to sleep sitting beside Sophia.

After what felt like only moments, she was awakened by a crashing sound. Kassie and Sophia shot around and stared at the people entering the church. Daryl stared right into her eyes and dropped his crossbow. He raced over to her and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her, not caring about anyone else around being around. She felt tears dripping down her face from happiness. Everyone was happy about finding both Kassie and Sophia. Carol was sobbing next to them, cradling a now crying Sophia. After Daryl finally released her from his hug, she gave hugs to Glenn and Carl. The one person she noticed that wasn't present in the building was Shane. As soon as everyone had calmed down, they were leaving the church. Shane was outside talking to Andrea. They stopped as soon as they rest of the group approached them.

"Alright, now that we are back together, make sure we stay together. If walkers start approaching the group, don't run away. Shout for help and fight them off," Rick said as they walked out. Daryl kept Kassie by his side and her hand in his. She smiled the whole way back to the caravan, feeling safe with Daryl by her side. It was around two in the afternoon when they got back to the highway. It was then that Kassie saw a new car next to the RV. She recognized the maroon colored minivan. She let go of Daryl's hand and ran up to where the RV was. As she rounded the front of it, there stood a middle aged woman, middle aged man, and a teenage boy and younger girl.

"Mom? Dad? Celia? Ash?" she said, not believing what she was seeing. They walked over to her and stared at her before hugging her. She could feel herself crying once again, just like when Daryl had found her hours earlier. They each kissed her cheek and let go of her when Rick and Daryl ran around the RV with weapons pulled. Dale and T-Dog came from where her family was originally standing.

"They pulled up while we were on watch. They got out of their car and asked if we knew a Kassandra Barclay," T-Dog said with a smile.

"We had to tell them about what happened with you and Sophia. We were all worried sick just sitting around. Then, when you came running around there, I think we were all in shock," Dale said laughing. Her sister had her arms wrapped around her waist and was still sniffling.

"Well, might as well introduce you to everybody. I am Rick Grimes and this is my son Carl and my wife Lori. You have already met Dale and T-Dog. That is my partner Shane, Andrea, Glenn, Carol and her daughter Sophia," he said pointing to everyone. Kassie went and grabbed Daryl's hand and walked him over to her parents.

"And this is Daryl Dixon, my boyfriend," she said to them. He nervously held his hand out her dad and he shook it. Her mom hugged him, thanking him for protecting her. Celia followed shortly after. Ash stared at him from the corner of his eye and simply said thank you.

"We are going to get set up to begin travelling again tomorrow. I hope you will be joining us," Lori said to them. They said yes and led Rick and Shane to their van to show them the supplies they had to share. Daryl and Kassie took Celia and Ash onto the RV so they could clean up a little bit. Celia sat at the table with Kassie with a smirk on her face. Daryl was finding Ash clothes.

"What is that look for Celia?" She asked with a smile. Celia's eyes flitted towards Daryl and back to her sister. They both giggled a little, trying not to catch attention.

"I should have guessed that you would have a boyfriend we didn't know about. Did you start dating before the outbreak?" She asked, being as nosey as she had been prior to the outbreak.

"We met right when the outbreak started. He was the one who welcomed me into the group. Ever since, we bonded and now we are dating. And yes, I realize he is a bit older than me, but I don't think age is as big of a deal anymore," Kassie said to her sister. The boys walked back to the table and brought back a bag. Kassie dug around and found an outfit that would fit her sister. They showed them the small bathroom on the RV. Each of them took turns washing as much as they could.

"You should go talk to your parents. They have missed you so much. I'll stay here and wait for them to get done," Daryl said to her.

"Thank you so much Daryl. You are amazing," she said, smiling and kissing him before walking out of the RV. She walked over to the van from her memories. They were separating and placing the luggage on different vehicles.

"Rick thought it would be best if we all squished a little bit and left the van behind. It doesn't get the best gas mileage. If we find a car along the way that is accessible and has better mileage, we might pick it up," her dad said to her. She searched through the luggage bags in the trunk. It was of her stuff from back home. She pulled out clothes, shoes, and other belongings she had left behind when she moved away for college.

"We didn't know how much you would have when we found you," her mom said coming up behind her. Kassie wrapped her arms around her, feeling a sense of comfort and relief. She had hoped and prayed her family would be back with her, but she never truly believed it would be possible.

"So, this Daryl Dixon guy. I take it you met him after everything happened?" her mother asked, not wanting to focus on the bad. They continued carrying the bags onto the Cherokee while talking.

"Yes I did. If it weren't for him, I probably wouldn't be here now. He doesn't look like it, but he is extremely caring and sweet. He has been a big part in protecting and keeping the group alive. You and dad are going to really like him," Kassie said back to her. Her mom smiled back. It was a genuine smile, something she had thought was long gone.

"We are excited to get to know him better," she replied. Kassie felt herself become even happier.

As the sun began to fall, everyone got ready to get some sleep. Daryl and Kassie offered to take watch for the night. They sat next to each other on top of the RV. Kassie sat in his lap with their weapons right beside them. Every few minutes, they scanned their flashlights around the area in case of walkers.

"I was so scared when I was out in the woods with Sophia. I knew I had to protect us both but I was scared I wasn't going to be able to. All I could think about was what if I never made it back to you? You are so important to me and I don't know what I would do if I lost you Daryl," she said, looking into his eyes. She swore that even through the darkness, she could see him blushing.

"But you have your family too Kassie. They are also important to you," he said while cuddling her against him.

"Of course I have them now and they mean the world to me, but I love you Daryl. I never thought I'd meet someone as amazing as you. If it took the world ending to find you, then so be it!" she said to him. With both of them smiling and happy, they continued watching over the camp together until the sun rose over the horizon once again.


End file.
